Mind, Body, and Soil

Caroline Nelson is living into the life she wants. A lot has happened since we last talked to Caroline a year and a half ago, she opened Little Creek Feed, her meat business got bigger, so did Cowgirl Camp, and somewhere in the midst of all that she became a mother. This is an episode in equal parts the gravity of pausing to ask yourself where you are in your life and how you can live into the life you want and the levity of Caroline and I laughing our way through a conversation that includes a lot of the “real real”. We talk about phone addictions, surrender, finding agency for your health, discipline and willpower. Caroline also candidly shares her journey into matrescence and what the last 6 or so months have been like with businesses and a baby. We also talk about the messiness of building community and the outsize impact it can have if we just surrender. All of that and a lot more can be found in this fun romp with Caroline. Find Caroline: Instagram: @bigskycarolineTikTok: @bigskycarolineLittle CreekFirst Episode with CarolineSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeFIELD COMPANY CAST IRONUSA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens. fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEARBarefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. Support the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

As Winter Solstice nears, this conversation is about the transformative power of darkness, about going into our grief, and building community to hold us. In this conversation, Francis Weller joins Kate to explore the profound importance of community and connection in human life. They discuss the pervasive sense of isolation and individualism in modern society, the various forms of grief that arise from that disconnection, and the need for a return to communal practice and love. Francis reminds us that we have forgotten and numbed ourselves – amnesia and anesthesia – but highlighting the healing potential found in nature, the darkness, and one another. Inside is a call to reimagine our relationships with each other and the world around us, advocating for a deeper understanding of our interconnectedness. Francis’ work on grief is seminal and in this, he highlights grief’s alchemical nature. It’s also a conversation about the importance of rituals, the necessity of creating spaces of belonging, and the interconnectedness of grief and joy. Find Francis: The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis WellerCoursesWorkshopsSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeFIELD COMPANY CAST IRONUSA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens. fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEARBarefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. Support the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

In this episode I sit down with Vince Beiser, whose book Power Metal: The Race for the Resources that Will Shape The Future is an incredible follow up to his book Sand: the World in a Grain. When we last caught up with Vince we plumbed the depths of sand and how, while largely unseen, it is one of the major resources our world is built on. In this conversation, Vince and I explore more unseen resources our world is increasingly dependent on: the critical metals that are powering our energy transition. We talk about how everything has a cost, about how the electro digital age, while feeling post-material, is anything but. We touch a little on the materials used in this energy transition. We have a complex conversation around  reshoring mining and exploring if where we might mine next is here at home. And then we talk about recycling, repair, and real tangible solutions to what might happen next. Find Vince: Instagram: @vince.beiserSubstackX: @vincebeiserPower Metal:  The Race for the Resources that Will Shape The FutureSand: the World in a GrainResources Mentioned: Washington Post on Data CentersNYT Op-Ed on Reshoring MiningThea Riofrancos on Novara FMFight to Repair NewsletterSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeFIELD COMPANY CAST IRONUSA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens. fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEARBarefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. Support the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Jill Winger, an author and homesteader celebrated for her focus on intentional living, shares her insights on embracing complexity in our lives. She discusses the challenges of modern communication, the importance of discomfort for personal growth, and maintaining genuine community connections in a polarized society. Jill emphasizes the need to balance simplicity with complexity while advocating for real human interactions over digital dependencies. This captivating conversation encourages listeners to lean into their contradictions and forge a more meaningful existence.

Brock Dolman, a conservation ecologist at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, expertly discusses the interplay of water cycles, beavers, and fire ecology. He emphasizes the need for mindful environmental stewardship and highlights how beavers can restore ecosystems. Brock advocates for understanding the deep connections between communities and nature, while weaving in insights about ecological resilience and sustainable practices. His passionate storytelling encourages listeners to appreciate our living earth and the intricate webs of life that surround us.

In this episode, I sit down with Katy Bowman. First, a long on-ramp to the episode where I talk about where some of Katy’s work dovetails with explorations of how we move resources to our bodies (when we used to move our bodies to resources) that we’ve been exploring on the podcast. Katy and I then dive into the ecology of movement, movement diets, finding your movement why, and how you might consider stacking community into movement. Find Katy Bowman:My Perfect Movement Plan: The Move Your DNA All Day WorkbookMovement Matters: Essays on Movement Science, Movement Ecology, and the Nature of MovementInstagram: @nutritiousmovementWebsiteSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeSUNDRIES FARM GARLICHand grown Sundries Farm Garlic is certified disease-free and grown in the volcanic soils of Idaho. With a range of soft and hard-neck varietals the unmatched flavor and big cloves are perfect for both your seed and culinary needs. Pre-order now for shipping in September. sundriesfarm.comSupport the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Join John Perlin, an acclaimed author who writes about humanity's relationship with trees and solar energy. He discusses the critical role of wood in shaping civilization, from ancient societies to modern life. Perlin delves into the concept of the 'Wood Age' and its significance in human survival and progress. He highlights the ecological implications of our ties to forests and the need for sustainable practices. Get ready for an enlightening journey through history that reveals how deeply intertwined we are with nature.

In this episode, I sit down with anthropologist Alyshia Gálvez to talk about her book Eating NAFTA. The conversation is from two people who came to economic policy through unlikely means, but as Alyshia explains, economic policy in general, and NAFTA in particular - on its 30 year anniversary, has become a part of all of our bodies whether we’re aware of it or not. Alyshia’s work is incredible at connecting dots that aren’t often seen in economics - its about people, landscapes, and cultures and how they are affected by policy that favors corporations. We explore ideas of efficiency, and how the standard definition is anything but, of consumption, and the paradoxes that arise when looking at people, food, and policy. We look at corn as a material that drives our world through corn products and how landrace corn varietals have been lost to the people that first cultivated them. We also look at the health effects of policy, both here in the US, and in Mexico. Alyshia comes with a big message: if you, like us, feel like you’re a stranger to economic policy or that you can’t change it, perhaps you can and it matters now more than ever. Find Alyshia Gálvez:Eating NAFTA: Trade, Food Policies and the Destruction of MexicoPatient Citizens, Immigrant MothersX: @alyshiagalvezWebsite Sponsored By:SUNDRIES FARM GARLICHand grown Sundries Farm Garlic is certified disease-free and grown in the volcanic soils of Idaho. With a range of soft and hard-neck varietals the unmatched flavor and big cloves are perfect for both your seed and culinary needs. Pre-order now for shipping in September. sundriesfarm.comSupport the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

In this week’s episode, I sit down with geologist Marcia Bjornerud to talk about her new book Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks and to explore how we can gain a sense of feeling embedded in the time and space of Earth, as earthlings. We explore the mentorship rocks have to offer us and putting the story of Earth as a dynamic planet front and center. We talk about how learning about process, not just end product, through the lens of geology, can give us a sense of empathy and story that mirrors our own inner experiences on Earth. It’s also about the paradoxical qualities of geology, the vetoing of the term ‘Anthropocene’ in the geologic community and why it matters, and what it means to look at the future through the lens of the past. This episode is about putting Earth in the foreground, not as a backdrop for our human endeavors, but as a living and active system. Marcia is excellent at being a translator for the Earth and her books and way of speaking both illuminate Earth in an intriguing and dynamic way. Find Marcia Bjornerud:Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of RocksTimefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the WorldReading the Rocks: The Autobiography of EarthGeopedia: A Brief Compendium of Geologic CuriositiesResources Mentioned: In the Weeds Interview with Marcia (Part 1 and Part 2)Sponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeSUNDRIES FARM GARLICHand grown Sundries Farm Garlic is certified disease-free and grown in the volcanic soils of Idaho. With a range of soft and hard-neck varietals the unmatched flavor and big cloves are perfect for both your seed and culinary needs. Pre-order now for shipping in September. sundriesfarm.comSupport the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Rose George is the author of four fantastic books (Nine Pints, Ninety Percent of Everything, the Big Necessity, and a Life Removed) that share a common theme: much of her work is about seeing the unseen. It’s about those things that are ubiquitous and unnoticed, or more likely, obfuscated from us. In this episode, we focus on human waste, the shipping industry, and blood. Much of our conversation is about how we begin to see the waters we swim in, stop sanitizing our language to further obscure things, and use our awareness to create changes large and small. It’s about breaking down taboos and letting individual stories of tragedy and triumph bring us into issues that matter. It’s also a little bit about the shipping industry and how 90% of our goods get to us, how toilets can transform lives, and how period products can dramatically improve the lives of girls. Find Rose George:Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of BloodNinety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your PlateThe Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It MattersA Life RemovedRose’s SubtackOn XResources Mentioned: Surfer’s Against SewageMonterrey Bay Fish GuideSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeSUNDRIES FARM GARLICHand grown Sundries Farm Garlic is certified disease-free and grown in the volcanic soils of Idaho. With a range of soft and hard-neck varietals the unmatched flavor and big cloves are perfect for both your seed and culinary needs. Pre-order now for shipping in September. sundriesfarm.comSupport the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh